Dave Carr is about to make his third survivor game appearance and quite frankly, it is a miracle. On June 5th, 2020 Dave was in a head on car accident in which he was nearly killed. Just a few weeks after the accident, Dave was at the Dawg Bowl X where he was completely surprised with a check to help defray his medical bills.
“I was in complete shock, not surprised by how wonderful Dawg Nation, the hockey community, or my friends were but the outpouring of such affection and gentleness even during such unprecedented times in our city and in our country. My approach towards life is to assume that folks will always put their heart first and the best foot forward. I never in my wildest dream, however, would even consider for a single moment that so much of that heart-felt affection would be expressed towards me.”
After a long recovery, Dave got back onto the ice, and while happy to be back, he found something at Dawg Nation to be more involved with than he could imagine. For the last year and a half Dave and a group that started out with just a couple people who wanted to help Van Stone get back onto the ice has continued to grow to a large skate that brings people together once a week. What is called Hockey Heals has brought joy to Dave and to many others and another love to the game that has already given so much.
“We really do have quite the Hockey Heals family and it keeps growing because of the love and support that each person feels. To me, it is life changing,” Carr said!
While the love for hockey is evident and radiating when around Dave, it is really the community that he loves the most. He is always one of the first to be at the rink and in the locker room and of course is always one of the last to leave the locker room as well. The camaraderie of hockey is Dave’s favorite part about the game and one of the reasons why he is the glue that helps hold Hockey Heals together.
“For me, Hockey Heals provides such a wonderful backdrop by being able to experience so many stories of hope, love, perseverance, grace, and community. I get a ‘front row seat’ in witnessing the unbelievable ‘Thirst for Life’ of the folks that skate at Hockey Heals. It is like no other I have ever experienced.”
The 13th annual DAWG Bowl tournament will be held June 21-25, 2023 at the Edge Ice Arena in Littleton, Colorado. The Survivor Game will be on Saturday, June 24 at 2:30 p.m. Admission is free and open to the public.
